President Bola Tinubu has appointed retired Major General Adeyinka Fadewa as Special Adviser on Homeland Security, creating the position for the first time as Nigeria battles worsening insecurity across several regions.
The appointment was announced on Monday in a circular signed by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, and issued by the Permanent Secretary, General Services Office, Dr Ibrahim Kana.
According to the statement reported by Punch Newspapers, the appointment is part of the administration’s effort to strengthen internal security coordination, intelligence operations, and collaboration among security agencies.
Akume described Fadewa as a decorated retired military officer with more than 30 years of experience in military intelligence, counter-terrorism, national security strategy, and international security diplomacy.
The statement noted that Fadewa served as Principal General Staff Officer to the National Security Adviser between 2015 and 2021, where he helped shape Nigeria’s intelligence coordination system.
He was credited with spearheading the establishment of the Intelligence Fusion Centre at the Office of the National Security Adviser. The platform brought together agencies including the Defence Intelligence Agency, National Intelligence Agency, Department of State Services, the Nigeria Police Force, and the Armed Forces to improve intelligence sharing and national threat assessment.
After retiring from the military, Fadewa worked as a Senior Research Fellow at the Nigerian Army Resource Centre in Abuja, contributing to policy discussions on policing, civil-security cooperation, and national security reforms.
The Presidency also highlighted his monograph titled Policing and National Security in Nigeria, describing it as a practical framework for strengthening collaboration between civil institutions and security agencies.
President Tinubu expressed confidence that the retired general would help improve homeland security initiatives, intelligence integration, and proactive risk management in line with the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
The appointment comes amid renewed concerns over banditry, terrorism, kidnapping, and violent crimes in different parts of the country, with growing calls for better coordination among security agencies.